Organized by the Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection

Mithili Waṉambi | Wuyal at Yanawal

Mithili Waṉambi

Wuyal at Yanawal, c. 1972

Wuyal ga Yanawal

Clan

Marrakulu

Songline

Wuyal | The Honey Ancestor

"The spirit man, Wuyal was looking for a gaḏayka (eucalyptus tetrodonta) tree containing honey, and when he found one he chopped it down. It fell into the saltwater named Guḏaltja, and a wave took it as far as destiny allowed until it crashed onto the rock. And from there, the honey children were born. When we see the flowers blossoming, we sing dhaŋarra, and it reminds us of all the spirits of the people who have gone before us and will bloom again. Djuluwa, Gatjiny’tji, Dhaltaŋu: these are the sacred names called in the songlines.

I am speaking about the events at the place called Gurka’wuy. Gurka’wuy is a sacred place. From here, a Djarrka (monitor lizard ancestor) came out, and he made his journey to a place called Djiḻpin. Djarrka saw that place, near that Waṉambi tree, and made his journey upward, and once he got to his destination, he turned into a person. Now, we call that place Djarrkapuy."

– WUKUṈ WAṈAMBI

Additional Information

Decade

c. 1972

Medium

Natural pigments on eucalyptus bark

Dimensions (IN)

43 ¾ x 20 ½

Dimensions (CM)

111.1 x 52.1

Credit

Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection of the University of Virginia. Edward L. Ruhe Collection. Gift of John W. Kluge, 1997. 1993.0004.866

Narrative

Marrakulu

The Marrakulu clan belongs to the Dhuwa moiety. Major spiritual themes include Wuyal, the honey...

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Songline

Wuyal | The Honey Ancestor

Wuyal, the ancestral Sugarbag Man, is an important ancestor of the Marrakulu clan of northeast...

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Location

Yanawal

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Location

1970s

After the hard-fought legal battles of the previous decade, the 1970s saw the first victories...

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About The Artist(s)

Clan

Marrakulu

Artist Dates

c.1923-1981

Alternative Names

Midili, Midhili

Mithili Waṉambi

Mithili Waṉambi was a member of the Northern Territory Special Reconnaissance Unit of the Australian Army formed by Donald Thomson and Woŋgu to protect Northern Australia from Japanese invasion during World War II. His children Wukuṉ, Yalanba, Ralwurrandji and Boliny Waṉambi are all successful artists.

Collections Represented

Art Gallery of Western Australia

Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection of the University of Virginia

National Gallery of Australia

National Gallery of Victoria